


Piece By Piece

by rizabethhhh



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Akuma Possession, Cyborgs, F/M, Future Fic, Love, Romance, ladyblog
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2018-06-10 06:37:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6943804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rizabethhhh/pseuds/rizabethhhh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 2029, researchers have developed a way to easily incorporate mechanical parts into human anatomy. Marinette was one of the first patients to be a part of such a progrsm. People are now able to have arms if they've never had them before; these people are known as cyborgs.<br/>Marinette and Adrien both suffered from tragic incidents leading to their add ons. The government has issued a program for an assimilation program of cyborgs and regular humans.<br/>When the two groups are put into classes together, no one knows what could possibly happen between them. Not only do Adrien and Marinette have to battle this new school situation, they have to juggle the life of being superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. So I saw this image of Marinette and Adrien together hugging and some reason I immediately thought "cyborg AU". It was just a drawing of the two of them. If I find it again I'll show you guys. I just wanted to write something creative. Hope you enjoy :D

_**October 2029: Marinette Dupain-Cheng 3yo** _

Stories about the night of the fire are ones she has heard thousands of times. She has heard everyone’s point of view on the tragic event that took pieces of her own being.

Her mother says she regrets ever leaving her little toddler upstairs to nap that day. It was the one day she had time to herself to help her husband in the busy little shop. Her father says he regrets ever suggesting and convincing his wife it was a good idea to leave their sleeping toddler alone instead of having her downstairs. Both of her parents regret what happened to their only daughter as a result of it.

As usual, it was a busy day at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. They had orders for several wedding cakes and at least twenty people were in and out of the bakery every hour. The place was hopping and people were milling around waiting for their orders for pastries and bread to be filled.

The husband and wife were managing to get orders out on time and keep their customers happy while they waited. Without noticing, something in the oven caught fire. That fire spread quicker than it ever should have. It caught the wooden table in the kitchen making the flames larger. The flames climbed up the walls and engulfed everything in the kitchen. Eventually, the entire room was aflame. It quickly spread and rose up to the above levels of the home where the little toddler lay in her slumber.

It rapidly made its way to the front where customers were waiting for their orders. When one of the customers screamed, the couple were aware of what was going on. The husband rushed for the fire extinguisher while the wife reached for the phone to call the fire department. Customers were scattered throughout the shop trying to avoid the fire and get out before they got hurt. 

The fire grew faster than the husband could put out flames. Before the couple’s eyes, their small bakery was eaten by the flames. The cute tables and chairs were a flame and the displays were no longer small sugary treats. When the flames reached a spare toddler crib set up in the shop, their fear of losing the shop turned into panic.  
The couple realized their daughter was upstairs. The wife was about to go get her child when a fireman came into the building and told her to go outside. When she refused to listen, another fireman had to carry the petite Asian woman outside and place her next to her large French husband. The entire time she was being carried, she called out her daughter’s name uncontrollably crying.

“Marinette!”

***

After rescuing her from the fire, the firemen brought her to her parents. She was deeply burned and chared. They said they arrived to the child just in time. Any longer in the flames and it would have reached her brain. Her left arm was brutally charred as well as her right foot. The side of her face was oozing with bodily fluids, and where her left eye used to be, there was nothing more than a socket.

They rushed her to the hospital. There was nothing the doctors could do for the child. Marinette was barely alive as it was when she arrived. Tom and Sabine, her parents, were desperate. They were given the opportunity to be apart of a new program which could potentially bring their little girl back to them in almost entirety. The program directors offered to pay the medical bill for their daughter. The couple agreed to anything to care for their burned child; she was everything to them. Soon after agreeing to the terms, they realized she would be receiving cyborg parts. They couldn't care less. They were grateful Marinette would be alive and well.  
Marinette received a metallic foot and arm with a forearm extension. Her face and skin were replaced with revolutionary new skin grafts which show no existence of burns or injury. Her eye was replaced by a glass one which allowed for her to see, but also have access to any information or data all over the world.

As a small toddler, her first arm and leg were free from the program directors. It took her a while to become accustomed to her new extremities. After a few years and practice with them, it was time for her to get bigger sized arm and foot to accompany her growing body. The replacement was not provided by the program. The new foot and forearm hand cost the Dupain-Cheng’s a fortune. At the ripe age of 6, Marinette knew she needed to do something to help her parents afford her new parts. She would need new ones every few years for the next 10-15 years.

Marinette began looking through the internet using her replaced eye. Whenever she had time, she would watch fashion videos to learn how to sew and mechanic ones to learn how to make her own repairs. Her parents knew little of her skill as a mechanic but pushed her passion to design. They thought it was good for a child at her age to have something to keep her mind occupied.

About a year after her interests sparked, she began going into the sketchier parts of town while her parents were working in the new bakery they had bought. They used the money they originally saved for her medical bills to purchase Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, their new home and bakery. They wouldn’t notice her slip out. In the sketchier parts of town, she would sit off to herself and try to fix her limbs.

One day after Marinette had been coming to the part of town for a while, a man came up to her who had a cyborg arm. He asked her if she could possibly fix his arm because he could no longer bend his fingers freely. He mentioned he had seen her working on her own parts for the longest time and offered to pay her a small sum if she did; he claimed he could not afford to go to one of those fancy cyborg repair shops.

Marinette agreed to help him. She, a 7 year old girl, managed to fix the man’s hand. She knew exactly what to do because the blueprints appeared before her left eye as she was fixing the problem. She made a small sum and the man promised to spread word about her work because he believes she did such a good job. Soon enough, Marinette was making small cash to contribute to the next purchase of her new limbs. People thought of her as a God for fixing their parts for little to no cost.

By the time she reached middle school, Marinette had to change parts at least 3 more times. Her parents never questioned where she received the money to contribute to the cost of her parts. They appreciated her help.

She continued to fix parts for those who couldn't afford it. She eventually set up a small booth in an alleyway so people could come to her. The cyborgs were beyond grateful for her help. She adopted the nickname of ‘Bug’ because one day a client came in and commented on how her pigtails make her look kind of like a bug with antennae along with the red sweatshirt she was wearing. The name stuck and she was known as Bug the mechanic.

***

**_September 2037: Adrien Agreste 11yo_ **

To get away from his father, Adrien would always leave at night wearing his black hoodie to go on walks. He took them to clear his mind. His pre-teen self convinced him it was the only way he would be able to regain any composure or serenity.

After fighting his father one night on not attending a photoshoot because he wanted to go to the Caribbean with Chole, Adrien took a different path to walk. He walked through a sketcher part of town than he normally does. No one was on the streets which were duly illuminated by lamp posts.

He walked past an alleyway with his hood over his head and shoulders slunched. Two men saw him pass the alley and pulled him into the alley with them. They threw him onto the ground in front of them and his hood fell back. The one man reached his hand into Adrien’s pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“Oh boy,” the one man said, “Looks like we have caught the Adrien Agreste. Does your daddy know you're out this late?” He took out all the money and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.

Adrien’s pre-teen stupidity kicked in, “I am not ‘daddy’s boy.’ He doesn’t need to know what I am do-”

He was shut up by a kick to his side.

“Shut up you daddy loving fuck,” the other man said, “I think we need a souvenir? Don’t you?”

The man looked at his partner as he pulled out a knife. Adrien’s eyes went wide when the other man nodded. He was about to say no and plead when a sharp pain erupted from where his ear was. He noticed the man holding his ear in his hand. Adrien covered the spot where his ear was moments ago. When Adrien’s hand moved away from his ear, it was all red. Nothing but red blood everywhere. It was pooling around his head.

After the kick and ear amputation, there wasn’t a moment where someone wasn’t hitting him. Adrien was kicked in the gut and punched in the face. His jaw was knocked several times. He was unsure where the pain was coming from anymore. He knew he was in pain but that was all. He felt it deep in his torso. It was as if someone had taken a chunk out of his side. Adrien wasn’t even sure if the men used the knife to cut open and slaughter his side. All he knew was that there was blood everywhere on him. He felt as if he was bathing in it.

Once the men were done with their fun, they dumped Adrien in the middle of the road. Adrien tried to get up but too much of him was broken. He lay there giving up. He figured it would be better than the pain he would be in now. To his luck, a car came zooming down the road towards him. He swear he saw the light leading to heaven. Instead, all he saw were the car headlights. The car stopped after it hit something, that something was Adrien’s leg. The car ran over his left leg, breaking and destroying every bone in the leg leaving it practically unusable. It was a woman in the car and she panicked. She immediately called the police and an ambulance to bring him to the hospital.

When in the hospital, Adrien was told it was a miracle he survived such a beating and being run over. He received a cyborg leg, torso, and ear. His father was furious with Adrien for ruining his body. His father ordered the nurses to put skin grafts on the metallic ear to best hide the fact his son was now a cyborg, a freak, someone who was a part of lower class society.

Adrien accepted the changes to his lifestyle. He was just glad to be alive. His father hired Gorilla to watch and protect Adrien at all times. Mr. Agreste refuses for his son to get into such trouble again and for the secret Adrien is a cyborg to go public.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the prologue. I wanted to put this idea out there and see what people thought. I'm planning on writing out an entire story based on this idea. I just wanted people's opinions. I also plan on incorporating kwamii and Chat/Ladybug into it. They'll fight akuma and stuff. I also plan on including a Nathaniel/Marinette scene(I'm not a huge fan but i love the idea I came up with).  
> If you guys could let me know what you think, it would be great. Thanks :D


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coming to school and how they got their miraculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while. I have been super busy with getting ready to go to school. I hope you enjoy the first official chapter!!

_**First Day of School, September 2042:** before Miraculouses_

There is no surprise Marinette is running late to school. She had to stop by her mechanic booth before school to pick up some necessary tools to bring with her. She doesn’t want to end up malfunctioning on her first day. As she walks, she feels the tools bang against her leg. It is a constant reminder that she is different from the majority of the kids at her new school. She walks up to the new building, joining the crowd of students that has already formed.

This year Marinette knows she has to make a good impression on someone, otherwise, she will have no friends since she was the cyborg girl.

The city of Paris made a decision to begin integrating cyborg students into schools with normal students. After going to a normal cyborg high school for two years, Marinette is nervous to come to a new school where she knows she is going to be different; she knows she will be able to make the best of it, though. Her and 9 of her other classmates were asked to be a part of this project. Marinette agreed with the knowledge that someday everyone, cyborgs and normal people, will get along and there will be no segregation.

Marinette gazes up at the school before climbing the stairs. It’s and old white stone building. She imagines the normal students have been coming here their whole lives. This is a first for her. 

_How different would my life have been if I came here instead?_ Marinette asks herself. 

“It’s so nice to see a familiar face.”

Marinette turns around to see her friend from the cyborg school, Nathaniel. A big smile spreads over Marinette’s face. She is glad to see a friendly face as well. Nathaniel lost his right hand after he badly burned it in an accident. It was beyond repair and thusly replaced. Some people think his drawings aren’t really his talent because of his cyborg extension but he was so talented before the accident.

“Same to you,” she responds, “There are so many ‘normal’ people here.”

Nathaniel laughs at her comment. “Welcome to the real world,” he says, “Where all there are are Skins. God forbid a Metal interact with their kind.”

He Marinette smiles and laughs at the mention of the terms each kind has for one another. The cyborgs refer to the normal people as Skins, and the normal people refer to the cyborgs as Metals.

She pushes a piece of spare hair behind her ear. She catches Nathaniel staring at her as she does so.

She can tell he is caught off guard and he quickly recovers.

“I-I should get going. Might as well get a head start on how this school works. I’ll see you inside?” he asks.

She nods, “I’ll be right in. I need to get myself together before entering.” Mari pauses and then adds, “Good luck!”

She watches him wave as he walks away. She waits for him to entirely be out of her sight before she takes her first step up the stairs. The majority of the students have gone inside for classes. It is almost time for school to start.

Before her foot reaches the step, the sound of a harpy screeching is heard.

“Surprised to see so many of you filthy Metals here.”

Marinette looks up and is faced with a blonde demon. She tries to remain straight faced to show the mean girl she doesn’t care what she has to say.

“I can’t believe my daddy allowed this to happen! These ‘beings’ allowed in the school I go to?! I refuse to spend the last two years of my education surrounded by metal heads, legs, and arms,” she screeches again.

Her father must be the mayor so this must be the one and only Chloe Bourgeois. She does a background check on the drama queen with her facial recognition software. The image of Paris’s sweetheart pops up along with a variety of facts about her.

Marinette has never been too fond of the mayor’s daughter. Chole has always appeared to be stuck up and unthoughtful when on TV in her opinion. Her assumption was right and so much more. She is a horrible person.

Marinette is about to speak up when another voice counters Chloe, “Leave her alone, Chole. The only crime you think she is committing is pissing you off which isn’t even a crime.”

The girl that came down the stairs behind Chloe is curvy and definitely of Spanish descent. She stands next to Marinette giving Marinette even more courage she needs to stand up to Chole.

Marinette runs this girl through her recognition software. _Alya Cesaire._

“See,” Marinette speaks up, “Why can’t everyone be as nice as-”

Marinette waits for the girl to provide her with her name as a form of courtesy.

“Alya.”

“Why can’t everyone be as nice and as welcoming as Alya? Do you always have to pick on people like me?” she says. Mari puts her hands on her hips waiting for an answer, Alya copies her stance. She knows immediately she likes this girl without even looking at her online profile.

This throws Chloe off-guard. Marinette assumes she wasn’t expecting a cyborg chick to talk back to her. She probably has the idea that cyborgs will roll over for her, do her every bidding, and cower in from of her. She has yet to meet Marinette. Eventually, Chloe turns around and storms into the school.

“That’s right, Chloe. See you later,” Alya says.

“Thanks for that,” Marinette says smiling. She holds out her hand to introduce herself, “I am Marinette.”

Alya shakes her hand and smiles. “Nice to meet you and as you know now, I am Alya. Don’t let Chloe get to you. She is just a bitch to everyone.”

Marinette chuckles at the thought of Chloe being nice to anyone and it is completely impossible.

The bell rings and Alya suggests they should get to class. Before Marinette can take a step up, an old man bumps into Marinette knocking her over and causing his stuff to scatter everywhere.

“Oh my goodness!” Marinette exclaims. “I am so sorry.”

Marinette frantically tries to help him pick up all his things.

“All is ok, young grasshopper. Thank you for your help,” he croaks. Marinette thinks this man is odd but eerily familiar. He wears a red Hawaiian shirt and has a goatee but carries many things with him.

“Of course. Anytime!” Marinette smiles and turns to Alya who is gesturing that they have to get to class.

“Oh!!” Marinette exclaims, “I am so sorry but I have to get to class. Nice to meet you!”

Before Marinette makes her way up the stairs, the old man slips a black box into her bag that will change her life forever; she will no longer just be Marinette.

* * * 

Adrien wanted to make it to his first day of public school on time.

This is the first time his father has ever let him decide something himself. Without this decision, Adrien thinks he would have ended up going insane by the end of the year. He doesn’t think he’d have been able to stand the constant photo shoots and makeup coverups. His father’s constant stern voice telling the assigned makeup artist, Stephanie, to cover up his cyborg torso as well as his ear and leg with synthetic skin material. He hated having to cover up so often, and he doesn’t think she enjoyed it either; he couldn't blame her.

The one term his father had if he was to go to school, was that he have the synthetic skin on when in school. Not like he cared about Adrien, all he cared about was his own public image; his image would be ruined if it was announced that his son was a cyborg this entire time.

After having Stephanie cover his ear, he rushed out of his mansion without even having a bite to eat. He knew he was running late and wouldn’t be surprised if his father took that as a reason to pull him out of school already.

When he turns the corner school is on, he knocks into an older man and causes him to fall over. The old man drops both his cane and whatever else he is holding; Adrien doesn’t have the time to look.

“Oh man,” Adrien exclaims, “I am so sorry, sir.”

Adrien takes a deep breath to calm down. He checks his watch and notices he is already late. The evidence of how far he has ran is aching in his human leg, the cyborg one takes no hit. He figures since he is already late being even later won’t make a difference.

“Let me help you up, sir.”

Adrien bends over and gives the old man a hand up and helps hold him up while he reaches for the old man’s cane.

“Thank you so much, young man,” he responds. “I greatly appreciate your help. Barely saw you come around the corner.”

He is the kind of man Adrien assumes would speak in riddles. He hands the man his belongings and smiles. 

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asks genuinely hoping to make up for knocking the man over.

The man smiles and looks up at Adrien, “Not at all. Just try to be more yourself now.”

Adrien, confused at the request, nods his head in agreement and says goodbye. He runs off towards the entrance of the newly integrated cyborg-human school.

The old man grins enjoying the knowledge that the new bearer of the cat kwamii will be a perfect match for his new lady.

* * *

“Good morning class,” the teacher announces. “My name is Ms. Bustier.”

She proceeds to write her name on the board. Marinette leans on her hand and begins to doodle on a blank page in her sketchbook. She filled her previous one with endless sketches of  
both fashion designs and cyborg parts last school year. It’s about time to start a new one.

A crashing noise in the front of the room took her attention away from her sketches. A tall, blonde, blue-eyed beauty just walked in before her eyes. She tried to ID him but she couldn’t because her systems were telling her to cool down before using the recognition software.

Marinette leans over to Alya who gratefully sat next to her. “Who is th-that?” she stutters. She covers her mouth. She never stutters unless she is overheating. The cyborg part of her brain and nervous system is no longer functioning properly. Her heart is pounding in her chest and there is no way to erase the words ‘System must cool down’ from her field of view.

She takes a few deep breaths trying to relax to hear Alya’s answer. After a few breaths, the message is gone but her heart is still beating in her chest.

“Oh,” Alya whispers, “That is Adrien Agreste. I heard he was going to be in this class. Apparently, he got in because his father is good friends with Chloe’s father. He has never actually been to school before and wanted to come, from what I've heard. I guess his father thought it would be good publicity if he was in the classes with the cyborg students.” Alya shrugs, “No offense.”

“None taken,” she manages to mumble. She refuses to take her eyes of the boy. He is stunning. Now that she has calmed down, she is able to easily ID him. She reads through the quick facts about him she can see. He is the son of Gabriel Agreste, the biggest fashion designer in Paris. He fences and occasionally plays basketball. His favorite food is croissants. He is a model but from some of his work, she immediately can tell he isn't the biggest fan of being in front of the camera. Marinette commands to look at some of his modeling photos, which is a mistake. Soon she is scrolling through photos of him shirtless or dressed in formal attire.

Marinette is completely out of it until the teacher speaks again.

“Welcome,” Ms. Bustier says, “You must be Mr. Agreste. We have been waiting for you. Please take a seat so we can get on with the first lesson of the year. I am Ms. Bustier by the way.”

The boy, Adrien, nods. He walks up to the first seat and Chloe offers him a seat next to her. Chloe pushes her friend off the seat. Marinette earlier IDed her as Sabrina, Chloe’s ‘friend’. Sabrina seems entirely unaffected by the rude gesture. Marinette is about to stand up and say something to Chloe but Alya puts a hand on her arm to calm her down. She assumes she has to pick her battles from here on out, especially with Chloe. 

Adrien talks quietly to Chloe before turning to find a different seat. When he leaves her, she looks disappointed by what he told her. The look on Chloe’s face tells Marinette that Adrien told her something she didn’t want to hear. That gesture makes Marinette like him and the idea of him even more.

Eventually, he sits down next to a boy Alya told her was Nino. Apparently, Alya and Nino have been dating for a while. She says they are happy and met at the zoo unexpectedly one day. Luckily, Marinette and Alya are sitting directly behind the boys.

Marinette stares at the back of his head. Subconsciously Marinette starts doodling and sketching in her book.

* * *

Adrien bursts into the classroom embarrassed about being late, especially on the first day. He had hoped to walk unseen into class. Of course he had to be obnoxious when entering the room. He had to think of a good excuse why he was late. He looked around the classroom for reasons but couldn’t think of anything when he sees the entire class whispering about him.

He sighs because he knows all of the students know who he is and they are talking about him. He runs a hand through his hair before looking at the teacher blankly. 

“Welcome,” the teacher says, “You must be Mr. Agreste. We have been waiting for you. Please take a seat so we can get on with the first lesson of the year. I am Ms. Bustier by the way.”

Adrien nods and immediately turns to find a seat. All the girls seem to want him to sit next to him, except for the cute girl with the black hair and pigtails. She appears to be in a daze. He grins. 

Chloe calls him over to talk. He wonders what she wants.

“Sit with me, Adrikins!” Chloe exclaims loud enough for just the two of them to hear. She wraps her arms around his waist. Adrien gingerly unwraps her arms from around him. He doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“Chloe I can’t sit with you,” he whispers to her. He notices Sabrina sitting next to her, “You're already sitting next to Sabrina.”

Next thing Adrien knew, Sabrina is on the ground. Chloe pushed her off the seat. Adrien resisted the urge to go over and help Sabrina up. Chloe was the only friend he has and he can't risk losing her before he makes other ones. Plus, he could never be rude to her. She is the only friend he ever has had. 

“Thanks, Chloe,” Adrien says, “But I think you should sit with Sabrina this year. You two have always sat together. I remember the stories you told me and I don't want to ruin your dynamic.”

Adrien tries to put on a smile. He walks away before Chloe can guilt him into sitting next to her. He walks over to sit down in front of the girl who is still too busy lost in her world. She puts a smile on his face before he sits down. At least someone seems to have not noticed his entrance. 

“Hey,” Adrien says to the kid sitting next to him. 

The kid pulls his headphones off and looks at Adrien, “Hey sorry man, did you say something?”

“Hey. I'm Adrien. Is it ok if I sit here? I mean I don't really know anyone besides Chloe.”

Before the headphones guy responds, he looks Adrien up and down. Adrien notices his glare and sits there waiting for a response. 

“I'm sorry you don't really know anyone besides Chloe,” he responds(This puts a small smile on his face). “Let's change that. I'm Nino. And why wouldn't you be allowed to sit here? Of course you can, bro.” 

Nino holds his fist out. Adrien responds by fist pounding him. “Thanks man,” Adrien responds. He takes a deep breath before taking out a notebook to start copying down notes on the board. This is going to be a good year, Adrien tells himself.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Chat Noir and Ladybug

November 2042: after 3 months of Miraculous

Marinette lands on the roof near their normal meeting spot. She looks out at the glowing city of Paris. This skyline is something she could never get tired of. She loves the city’s beauty and hopes the magic it contains remains forever. She's has been enchanted by it for as long as she can remember. 

As she waits, she twirls her yo-yo around and practices mundane yo-yo tricks. Ever since she discovered the earrings in her bag on the first day of school, she has known her duty; she has to protect the city from all the evil thrown its way. Since she discovered she is Ladybug, she has saved the city she loves several times from the evil doings of some villains such as the Bubbler and Chronogirl. She has found her place in the citizen’s hearts, cyborgs and humans alike.

Not only is the best part that she gets to help people, but everyone thinks she is normal, not a cyborg. Even though the online chat rooms hold daily debates about the possibilities she is a cyborg, practically anyone who is sane believes she is entirely human. There has never been a time where she has felt the most accepted. Even though she doesn’t mind being the odd one out, sometimes it’s nice to be accepted.

Discovering the earrings also introduced one of her best friends, her kwamii, Tikki. At first, Marinette freaked out and trapped Tikki in a glass jar on the floor, but now, they are the best of friends. Tikki allows for her transformation into Ladybug day in and day out. There is nothing she enjoys more than the transformation from cyborg, mechanic girl Marinette, to superheroine Ladybug.

“I see my lady has been patiently awaiting her knight’s arrival.”

She turns around to find her partner within inches of her face. Immediately, she pushes the cat away from her.

“Aw, is someone not excited to see their knight in shining armor, my lady?” he asks with a stupid grin on his face. 

Marinette soon discovered she was not to make this journey on her own. Chat Noir found her on her first night out. As he likes to constantly remind her, she fell for him. Literally. She was trying out her yo-yo and she missed what she was trying to latch onto. She ended up falling. Luckily, Chat was there to catch her, much to her disapproval. She was glad he caught her but when he first came out with a cat pun and started hitting on her, she knew she found a true partner. He is someone who can balance out her serious demeanor with his carefree one. 

Like she did that night and every night after that, she tries to ID Chat with her facial recognition. Every time she tries, she receives the same answer. No data available. It is as if he doesn’t exist except as Chat Noir. She believes the mask blocks her recognition software, but there could be various reasons for the lack of information. Even though the mask blocks his face, she knows she knows him from some other part of her life but she is unsure of where.

What always throws her off is his ear. His one cat ear is noticeably a cyborg addition. Anyone can make the assumption that whoever Chat Noir really is has a cyborg's ear. The media believes him to be a cyborg and her human; the perfect crime fighting duo.

Ladybug turns around to face the Parisian skyline once again before rolling her eyes. _That cat will never learn_ , she tells herself.

“Did you finish your scout around the city? You see anything unusual?” she asks getting down to business.

Chat walks over to the edge of the rooftop. She listens to the normal sound of his footfalls; _thud, clank, thud, clank, thud, clank_. She can recognize the sound of a Metal’s gait anywhere.

Chat sits down with his legs dangling over the edge and pats the spot next to him. “Of course I did. I would never let you down, my lady. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Everything is absolutely purr-fect.” He pauses to take a deep breath in and look out at the skyline with her. “Come relax. Take a seat next to me. You’ve been working so hard these past few months to look for him. We will find him when we do.”

Ladybug sighs and accepts the gesture to sit down. She makes sure she doesn’t give him any ideas by sitting a good distance away from him. “Thanks,” she says trying to relax a bit.

“I just really want to figure out what he has been up to,” Ladybug says, “It irks me to no end knowing he is out there. I hate how he is antagonizing the people of the city to take our miraculous. After the mime attac-”

“Stop it,” Chat interrupts, “No more talk about akuma and Hawkmoth. He will come around and we will take him down. There is no need to fight or think about fighting tonight.” He starts to calm her down. She takes a deep breath. She knows he is right. “We did our patrols. There is nothing in the city tonight. We just need a moment to sit and take a cat nap,” he finishes ruining the moment with another cat pun.

Ladybug rolls her eyes and pushes some strands of hair out of her face. She sits there and enjoys the lights with Chat Noir. She couldn’t have asked for a better partner. He is loyal and always by her side. They work as one when in battle and always knows what the other is thinking. Behind all his cat puns and occasional flirting, she knows he is really sweet and caring because of the number of times he has risked his life to save hers. She would risk anything to save him as well.

“I wonder why Hawkmoth is targeting all of these people?” Chat asks out of the blue, “Why does he want our miraculous that bad?”

Ladybug is shocked by his question. “This is more interest you have shown in our research on Hawkmoth than I think you have ever put in.” 

This makes Chat chuckle, “I figure I don’t usually want to go along the lines of ‘curiosity killed the cat’.”

She rolls her eyes again. She looks at him before speaking, “Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden?”

“Well,” he turns her attention to her and his silhouette is outlined by the glowing city behind him, “All the people he has targeted have been normal people who just happen to get a little upset. Remember the Bubbler? Nino-” he pauses, “I mean, if that was his name, he just wanted to have fun without parents. I mean the next thing we know it could be one of us as our civilian identities.” He pauses for a moment waiting for her response. When she doesn’t react he continues, “One of us could get akamaized while we are living our normal human lives. Most of the time, if you haven’t noticed, the victims are usually not cyborgs.”

Marinette nods. He is right. Most of the victims aren’t cyborgs, they tend to be normal humans. Luckily, she will probably avoid being akumatized because of her cyborg parts, but Chat doesn’t know that….

“No don’t worry. I won’t be,” she responds trying to ease his concern for her being under Hawkmoth’s spell.

“Why are you so sure?” he asks curiously. “Is it because you are Skin and your life is perfect?”

She is irked by the way he thinks she can live her life perfectly. If only he knew what she has to go through. She has scavenged and worked her ass off to afford a new leg and forearm each year she gets older and grows. Ladybug curls her hands into fists trying to let the anger flow through her before the message comes across her vision telling her to calm down.

“Ladybug, I just want you to be safe,” he says scooching closer to her and taking one of her hands. “I really care about you and your safety. I want to protect both you and the city but since you're a Ski-”

“Stop it!” she stands up and walks a few paces away before stopping. She crosses her arms and closes her eyes. Ladybug takes a few deep breaths trying to make the overheating message disappear. Once she has calmed down, the message disappears and she turns to Chat.

“My lady, I am sorry,” he says.

“I hate the fact that you are assuming my life is perfect because you think I am a Skin. You don’t know that for sure. What if I am a cyborg? What if I am not as perfect as everyone thinks I am? I never just assume that you are a Metal! I never ask about your ear even though everyone assumes that it means that when you are not Chat Noir that you are a Metal,” she states. She notices that the ear is more platinum than it was the other day which means he switched it out for a new one again.

She realizes he has lost some of the sparkle in his eyes and regrets yelling at him a little bit. She needed to get that out. He needs to know how she feels.

“Come here,” she says offering him her hands to help him up. He takes her hands to get up and faces her. When he looks down at her, pieces of his sandy blonde hair shift to cover parts of his glowing green eyes framed by his mask. She takes note how much taller he has gotten over the past 3 months

“Chat,” she begins, “I really care about you but we could never be together. We are partners. That is more than any relationship we could ever be in. I want you to know that. I love being your partner. We need to keep our trust and bond as partners strong. We need one another to be successful in our goal, to stop Hawkmoth. I am sorry for losing my cool.”

Chat nods but then grins, “It is okay, my lady, you can’t put me down that easily. I have nine lives so I easily bounce back. Don’t worry.”

His comment makes her smile without the usual eye roll. “Good,” she says. Her miraculous beeps indicating she is going to detransform.

“Sounds like my bugaboo must head on home otherwise the cat will really be out of the bag on whether or not you are a Metal,” Chat jokes.

Ladybug smiles and playfully punches Chat Noir on the shoulder.

“Stay your silly self, Chat,” she says before yo-yoing off.

“Who else would I want to be?” he calls off after her as she disappears into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not uploading sooner guys. I have been in school and been super, super busy. I should update more often now. I have the entire story outlined and the next few chapters written. I just need to write a few more chapters and the next chapter should be up in no time.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat theory  
> Cinnamon roll Adrien

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Im back. Sorry for not posting in forever, life has been crazy and I haven't had the incentive to write. Most of the story is planned out, I just haven't wanted to write :/ thank you for waiting!!:)

_**November 2042: walking into school one of the following days** _  


“Mari, you have to understand, the Ladyblog updates everyone on everything Ladybug but also has to keep up discussion about her!” Alya exclaims throwing her arms up. “It’s the only way to keep the readers intrigued when there is no akuma action.”

They walk to their first class together. The past three months have given the two girls time to become close friends. Alya helps keep Marinette sane around Adrien(As she is head over heels for him) and helps her try to talk to him, and Marinette helps keep Alya grounded and safe, away from the danger of her Ladybug fights. She tries to make sure she doesn't kill herself while getting quality Ladybug news(Yet Alya still hasn’t figured out her best friend’s identity). 

“But I mean you don't have to be so harsh while talking about m-Ladybug,” Marinette quickly corrects herself from admitting they are her own fights. “You sure you can’t just report news? I mean you seriously think she could have taken down Mime without her yo-yo? Or without Chat?”

“Well yeah. Of course! I have to construct different possibilities. The readers want to hear the truth about everything Ladybug. Even if it includes discussing other possibilities, especially other ways she could have taken down the villain. I mean Chat showed up in the nick of time. We had to discuss if she could have fought Mime without Chat’s help,” Alya says.

To try and steer away from the topic, Marinette asks Alya the actual outcome of the battle, although she experienced it herself. She figures it’s better than telling her to stop her discussions. Alya’s too stubborn for Marinette to try and stop her anyways.

“Well obviously she would have not been able to as easily defeat Mime,” Alya explains, “Chat Noir compliments Ladybug in every way. When she needs a distraction, he is there for her. When she needs someone to help her put her plan into action to defeat the akuma, who else is there but Chat Noir. It would have taken her longer but she would have eventually taken Mime out on her own. Chat Noir is a valuable asset to her team.”

“Okay. That makes sense. It's true, Chat does compliment her weaknesses,” Marinette says. In more ways than you know, she thinks to herself. 

_And it’s more of a partnership than a team led by me..._ Marinette thinks to herself not wanting to open another can of worms. She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing her attention to fully focus on Alya. 

The two girls make their way up the steps to their classroom as the warning bell signals. Marinette walks alongside Alya as the climb the stairs.

“Not only does the blog discuss that, but we discuss other things. Like how there is no way Ladybug could have done some of those things against Mime if she wasn't cyborg,” Alya says as she holds the door for Marinette to take. 

Taken off guard, Marinette misses grabbing the door and it hits her as she walks into the classroom setting her off balance. She quickly regains it and is steadied by Alya who apologizes while making sure her friend is alright. The two girls split and Marinette walks around to her desk deep in thought.

Marinette wasn’t expecting a comment like that. No one has really discussed it with her before now. She has never thought about the advantages her cyborg parts could give her as Ladybug. Not paying attention, she trips up the first step to her desk, completely losing her balance.

Before she knows it, she falls into the seat in front of her own. Someone catches her by her cyborg hand and helps steady her. She looks up remembering at that moment who sits in front of her and is mortified. The blonde hair, green eyed individual is sporting his handsome smile and soft expression as he helps her steady. 

Marinette quickly pulls her sweater over her hand before Adrien can say anything about it. She covers it not because she is ashamed she is a Metal, but because she doesn’t want Adrien to notice the old model. The model is over 5 years old and doesn’t want him to notice, not like he would know the difference.

“Good thing I was there to catch you, Mari,” Adrien laughs, smiling. She glances into his kind eyes. “Could have ended up being really bad.”

Marinette tries to apologize, but can’t form words in her mouth.

“Cat got your tongue girl?” Alya says behind her.

_If you only knew the irony of that saying,_ Marinette thinks to herself before returning to panic mode. She would have glared at her if only Alya knew the truth and she wasn’t panicking at the moment

“It’s alright, Marinette,” Adrien says. “It’s really not a big deal.”

Nino sits down next to Adrien before butting into the conversation, “I just caught this whole display, but don’t feel bad, Mari. I mean he has girls falling for him all the time. Not once have they actually fallen into him. He might as well add that one to the list as well.”

That comment causes Marinette’s cheeks to turn beet red. She tries to relax before speaking to him; the numbers in her vision keep telling her she is bound to overheat if she doesn’t calm herself down. A few deep breaths do the trick.

“Th-thanks, Adrien. I am so glad you are here for me. Uh- no! I am so glad you were here to catch me. No nonono. Um…”

Alya laughs before pulling Marinette into her seat and wrapping an arm around her saying, “What Marinette is trying to say is thank you for catching her before she fell.”

“Y-y-yeah,” Marinette says, “I’m su-super sorry.” She pulls the sleeve of her sweater further over her hand and allows strands of hair she previously pushed away to cover her cyborg eye again.

“Alya,” Adrien addresses, “Not to butt into your conversation, I do think your point about Ladybug could be true.”

Alya perks up next to Marinette, “Really?!”

This catches Marinette’s attention as well. Why would Adrien care about Ladybug? Doesn’t he have more important things to think about than whether or not Paris’ heroine is a Metal? Marinette’s gaze refocuses on Adrien, shifting the hair partially out of her eye.

“Yeah, it’s definitely possible. I mean look at Chat Noir. Everyone knows he is cyborg because of his one cat ear. Whenever his cyborg ear is replaced or changed, it is noticeable because his suit changes slightly, like the build of the ear or the color changes. He is super confident and obviously proud of his Metal heritage. I sometimes think he even flaunts it.”

Marinette silently chuckles to herself, If only he knew.

“Exactly!” Alya exclaims holding both arms out towards Adrien, “I mean Ladybug, if she is cyborg, hasn’t changed any of her parts since she has become Ladybug. This could be critical information. It’s 100% possible. This could lead us to her true identity!”

Adrien and Nino laugh at Alya’s enthusiasm as she frantically types the possibility into her phone.

“What about you, Marinette?” Adrien asks, “What do you think about Ladybug being cyborg?”

Marinette is left speechless. Her system is still telling her to cool down but she is unable to do that if she continues to sit here in front of Adrien with him interested talking to her. 

Marinette is about to speak and make a complete fool of herself again but the teacher comes into the classroom, saving her.

“Hm, maybe later you can let me in on your ideas,” Adrien says and gives her a gentle smile. He turns around to face the teacher, leaving Marinette a blushing mess.

“Come on now, Mari. Get a grip. You’re gonna have to talk to him like a normal person eventually,” Alya whispers in her ear before pulling out her notebook and a pen.

Before reaching into her own bag, Marinette takes a moment to cool down by taking some deep breaths, allowing her system to return to a normal level. She pulls out her sketchbook to work on a new design for a mechanical forearm and hand. Before she begins, she looks up to see what the teacher has written on the board to try and not get super far behind in class, but gets distracted by the back of Adrien’s head.

Adrien’s head is always a distraction and why she has completely given up on taking notes. She carefully observes the back of his head and notices something different than usual.

Her attention is drawn to his right ear. There is something wrong with the way it is shaped. Marinette knows the back of Adrien’s head like she knows the back of her own hand. There is no way that it is right, but what is different?

Marinette scans the back of his head for something out of the ordinary and the results come back positive. Compared to previous analyses of this view and her own intuition, she knows his ear is different. It appears misshapen. Marinette takes note of this but can’t come up with a reason why this could be possible.

There is no way he has injured himself like that. That’s the only reason why it would be different like it is now. If it is an injury, it’s probably minor and is covering the injury with skin grafts or something. He probably doesn’t want any attention from it so he covered it with skin grafts. People with his kind of money can do whatever they want to their bodies. The other possibility is that he is a Metal which is absolutely ridiculous. Metals aren’t allowed to be models or fashion designers. If one is lucky, they’ll hire them as seamstresses sometimes. Plus, he is Gabriel Agreste’s son. Mr. Agreste would never allow his son to be a cyborg and model; he inspired the rule of not allowing Metals in the fashion industry. If he was a Metal, everyone anywhere would know about it.

Marinette tries to return focus on her hand design but has Adrien’s ear in the back of her mind. She forces herself to ignore it and try to be a little productive during class.

* * *

The bell rings saving Marinette from being her own worst enemy. Sitting behind Adrien today was the most distracting thing in the world, even more so than usual. Now, she can think about something else over lunch with Alya. 

Marinette puts her sketchbook in her backpack with her noteless notebook. She smiles when she sees her small, red kwamii napping in her bag. Someone taps Marinette on the shoulder while she has her head in her bag.

She is taken by surprise and looks up. Marinette is faced with her old red headed friend.

“Hey, Marinette,” Nathaniel utters. “I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you doing? This place is crazy, isn’t it?”

“Hey Nate. I know right? It’s nice though. I like it,” she responds with a gentle smile as she shoulders her backpack.

She notices Nathaniel’ cheeks are redder than usual.

“I’ll see you later. I just wanted to check in,” he says. He rushes out the door before she can say another word.

Marinette turns to face Alya. She was glad to see Nathaniel. He seems like he is doing well. She makes a mental note to catch up with him sometime soon.

“I’m so glad we had the review session today for tomorrow’s test,” Alya says to Marinette.

Marinette stares blankly at Alya. She had no idea there was a test tomorrow. If she knew she would have at least tried to pay some attention to class. No use in her paying attention would have been though, she was undeniably distracted.

Marinette lifts a finger and is about to speak when Alya interrupts her.

“You were distracted again weren’t you?” Alya asks chuckling as she shoves her books into her backpack and pulls it onto her back. The two girls walk towards the door.

“Yeah…” Marinette says, “I completely forgot we had a test on…”

She stops, forgetting what class they were even in and what they are learning.

“The French Revolution,” Adrien chimes in behind the two of them. “I could help you if you would like, Mari.”

Marinette turns to look at him speechless and nods. They stop in the hallway outside the classroom. As usual, Nino follows Adrien out.

“You two could join us after school!” Alya says gesturing towards Nino, “We were going to study a bit and then work on the Ladyblog.” Alya looks at Nino and grins, “Nino said he could give the website a much-needed makeover because apparently, it isn’t ‘cool’ enough.” She says adding air quotes around ‘cool’.

Nino speaks, “Yeah. As much as Alya knows about blogging, she knows nothing about coding and website design. It looks like a three-year-old coded it.” 

Alya punches Nino in the shoulder. “I worked really hard on it.”

Nino rolls his eyes and chuckles.

“That’s a great idea!” Adrien exclaims. He looks at Marinette with a soft expression. “Is that okay with you?”

“Uh-Um. Y-y-yeah. I’d l-love you to do that. No! I don’t love you. I mean I’d love that,” Marinette stammers and then puts on a smile. She pulls down the sleeve of her sweater.

This puts a smile on Adrien’s face which causes Marinette to blush bright red and the word “Overheating” crosses her vision.

“Good. Perfect,” Adrien says sounding cheerful.

Alya pushes Marinette away from the group and calls to the boys, “Good. We will see you two after school.”

Marinette waves like an idiot as she is being pulled away.

“Girl, you need to learn how to talk to that boy,” Alya says laughing. 

Marinette smiles. She glances behind her to look at Adrien again and laughs awkwardly. He smiles and waves to her. She returns the gesture with a small laugh before turning back to where she and Alya were heading.

“I know. It’s so bad,” she cries as she puts her face in her hands once she is no longer being dragged away. The pair stops at the top of the stairs overlooking the courtyard.

“I am such an embarrassment, but it’s Adrien! He is so perfect and not a Metal. He is so nice to me even though I am a one, unlike Chloe and some of our other classmates.”

“He is different, Mari,” Alya begins, “He isn’t like most of the rich kids who hate Metals. He even contemplated the fact Ladybug could be one. Chloe would never think to believe that. Most people just drop the idea and believe she is human because everyone likes to think that her, a normal person and Chat Noir, a Metal, are able to work together in peace. Its a statement for people like Chloe in the city who think they are superior to Metals while they are people too.”

As if on cue, Chloe walks up to them and purposely passes in between Marinette and Alya, almost knocking them down the stairs. That’s as much as Chloe acknowledges their existence and continues down the stairs as if they don’t exist. Marinette swears she sees a malicious grin on her face as she walks away.

Marinette is about to go after her for bumping into them, but Alya grabs her cyborg hand.

“You have to pick your fights, Marinette,” she says.

The two girls watch as Chloe walks away unscathed. “She would have deserved it if you let me go after her. She needed to know what she did was wrong. I would have made sure she would never have done it again.” Alya let go of Marinette, confident she won’t go after Chloe, “She has to know she can’t do that to you just because you're affiliated with me. She needs to learn she can’t just throw everyone with metal pieces to the curb or those associated with us!”

Alya smiles and pats Marinette on the back; the two of them walk down the stairs and into the courtyard to the lunch tables before them.

“Thank you, Mari, but your time and effort are not worth that girl. She is worth nobodies time,” Alya says. She plops herself down at a table.

Marinette smiles, “Thanks, Alya. For everything, including being an amazing friend.” Marinette sits down and pulls out her lunch which includes several croissants, including some to share. She holds some out for Alya to take.

Alya laughs grabbing two, “You know the only reason I am actually friends with you is for the croissants, right?”

This causes Marinette to smile and giggle, “Isn’t everybody?” She takes a bite of her own and the two girls giggle and laugh all through lunch.

* * *

Adrien watches as Marinette is taken away in a daze. She is always like that around him and he has no idea why. She waves and he returns the gesture. For once he just wishes she could be normal around him like how she is with everyone else. She had no issue talking to Nathaniel before which helps him confirm that she is only a stuttering mess with him. He just wants her to like him.

Adrien addresses Nino as he watches Marinette walk away with Alya.

“Do you know why Marinette doesn’t like me?” he asks seriously. Adrien’s gaze doesn’t leave Marinette.

Nino laughs and looks at Adrien who is still serious about his question. Adrien’s concerned glance shifts from Marinette’s back to his friend’s smiling face. Adrien’s expression doesn’t change and Nino’s face drops the smile.

“Oh, you’re serious, bro? How can you not tell, dude?” Nino asks.

“Can’t tell what?” he asks. He watches as Chloe bumps into both of the girls right at the top of the stairs. Chloe’s presence wasn’t even on his radar because he was so transfixed on Marinette. He prepares himself to go and help the girls if they fall but they don’t. He wishes Chloe didn’t have to be so mean to the Metal students and the Skins who hang out with them.

Sometimes he wished Chloe knew the truth about him just so maybe she would be nicer to the other students like him at school. If she knew, she might never want anything to do with him ever again, or maybe she would change her attitude. She would see him in a different light.

“I can’t tell you, man. You have to figure it out for yourself. I think when you do, you will be very pleased with the results,” Nino explains grinning. “You have to calm her down when she is talking to you. Just be you. Ask her about her life and stuff. Then, you’ll be able to have a conversation with her. You can work on it today when we go to the cafe after school.”

Adrien watches as the girls walk down the stairs to the scattered lunch tables. Marinette pulls out her lunch consisting mostly of bakery treats. He licks his lips in longing to have one himself. He turns back to Nino.

“You think that’ll work?” Adrien asks hopeful.

“Yeah, totally. Just be yourself,” Nino says grinning.

“Stop grinning. You’re freaking me out,” he chuckles, lightly punching Nino in the shoulder, then adjusting his backpack.

“Sorry. Let’s get some food.”

Adrien follows Nino down the stairs and his gaze never leaves Marinette as she now bites into her croissant. He is determined to figure her out.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute cafe stuff

**_November 2042_ ** _: after school that day_

After school, Marinette and Alya wait for the boys outside their last class. They meet up and the four of them walk to a small cafe Alya and Nino frequent often after school. 

The group walks in and is greeted with screaming. The screech belongs to a customer opposite the counter sporting a navy blazer and pencil skirt. The woman throws her drink across the counter at the barista; it explodes on her apron. An older, male barista walks up behind the younger blonde one.

“No! Why would she ever put milk in that?!! This is all wrong,” the woman screeches, directed to the male. “It is always low-fat partially skimmed milk! Never whole milk!! I think as a customer that comes in everyday at the exact same time someone with your position should know my drink and make sure it’s made correctly!”

The business woman screeches again and storms out of the shop pushing past Marinette and her friends. She gives Marinette a disgusted look as she notices the metal arm and leaves in a huff. As Marinette and her friends slowly approach the counter, she reads the man’s name tag. It says ‘Jim’. Underneath ‘Jim’ it says ‘Manager’. 

_He must be her boss_ , Marinette thinks.

“I am so sorry! I’ll do it better next time,” the girl exclaims to the man. She grasps her green apron looking like she is holding back tears.

“No!! There will not be a next time, Julie! This is the third time this week you have mixed up a consistent customer’s drink!! GET OUT!!” Jim the manager exclaims pointing towards the door.

The girl pushes her way around counter and passes the group of friends as she slips out the door whimpering. The cafe’s silence indicates everyone’s awareness of the scene that played out before them. The manager turns away from the counter muttering to himself. The patrons took this as a signal to slowly return to what they were doing prior.

“Sounds like she wasn’t supposed to add the milk…” Nino says trying to break the silence, and tension, as they walk to the counter. Alya nudges his shoulder indicating the joke was too soon.

“We swear this place is really nice,” Alya promises, smiling at Marinette and Adrien. “As you can see, a lot of people do come here.”

Marinette observes the little shop. She notices almost every table is occupied by students from school. Jukela and Rose are sitting together at a table in a small alcove by the window silently chatting with one another. Alix is with Kim, and from the sound of it, it seems like they are debating which of them would win a race around the Eiffel Tower. Everyone else has their noses buried in homework or laptops typing away. She smiles at the sight of the cute cafe.

The teens order their drinks and sit down at two tables due to the lack of a four-person table at the busy hour. As they sit down, Alya informs her their drinks will be brought to their tables.

Marinette sits down at one of the tables they claimed next to the window. She looks up to call Alya over, but Alya sits down with Nino. Marinette watches as Adrien slides into the seat across from her.

She feels her heart skip a beat. She glares at Alya from across the cafe. This was her plan all along, Marinette thinks to herself.

Alya smiles and makes a heart with her hands. She mouths ‘Talk to him. RELAX.’

Marinette returns her attention to Adrien and politely smiles before pushing a stray hair behind her ear. She notices her heart monitor has spiked in her field of vision. She takes a few deep breaths before glancing up at him. She doesn’t dare speak first. She is undeniably nervous. She notices a string on her sweater and plays with it, trying her best to avoid eye contact. The string immediately pulls out. Just her luck. Instead, she pulls out her sketchbook to try to continue to distract herself.

Luckily, a barista brings their drinks over and places them on the table. She immediately lifts her latte to her lips and takes a long gulp. As much as she tries to, she hides behind her drink. She notices he is studying her; he has a curious glance in his eyes. She looks down at her fully visible cyborg hand grasping her drink. She immediately puts her drink down and pulls up her sleeve as she puts her hand under the table.

Adrien chuckles. She gives him a questioning look.

_Is he laughing at my hand?_ , she questions.

“You’ve got a little something,” he points to his own upper lip while grabbing a napkin with his other hand. She touches her own upper lip and feels the foam there. She feels her face get warm. Her body warns her to cool down or she will overheat.

He holds the napkin out for her and she takes it with her normal hand. She allows a smile to creep onto her face as she wipes away the foam.

“Th-thanks,” she says quietly. She slowly lifts her gaze to meets his. The shades of green that swirl around his iris take her full attention.

“Marinette?” Adrien says cocking his head in question, “Um, did you hear what I said?”

“Um, no. S-sorry,” Marinette smiles a little and looks at him. She hadn’t heard a word he said. She was too lost in his eyes.

“That’s fine. Your family owns a bakery right?” He asks.

“Y-yes. We do.”

“I thought you did. I absolutely love croissants. For my 10th birthday, my mom had some bakery in London import all of their best pastries because I love sweets so much,” Adrien says smiling at her. He chuckles a bit.

This makes Marinette giggle.

“You know what?” he asks. She shakes her head to prevent making a fool of herself by speaking. 

“The croissants weren’t that good. I can say that because later in the week I had the best pastries and croissants here in Paris.”

His smile transforms into a grin. This confuses Marinette because how would any place in Paris be better than somewhere in London? London has some stunning pastry chefs.

Marinette lifts her drink to take another sip.

“I got them from Boulangerie Patisserie, Marinette.”

Marinette almost spits out her latte after hearing this news. She chokes on it instead.

Are her parent’s pastries really that good? Marinette asks herself. She knows her parent's pastries are excellent but how could they compete with British cuisine?

“I was just walking down the street with my mother and saw the pastries in the window. I knew I had to have one. Once I had one, I knew I had to have more,” he says excitedly but his expression immediately changes. “It didn’t last long though. Soon after our discovery, my mother left and my modeling was prioritized by my father. Croissants and pastries are not in my diet regime.”

Marinette reaches across the table subconsciously to comfort him, as she would do for anyone else. “I am s-so sorry, Adrien. I-I mean if you would like I could bring you some croissants for you sometime in the future. On the DL of course.”

Adrien’s shallow expression changes into a soft smile.

“I would love that, Mari! Thank you so much,” he says picking up Marinette’s metal hand in his own.

Her vision registers her own hand in his and immediately pulls her hand out of his realizing what she did. She hides her hand under the table again and shyly smiles.

“I m-mean anything to help out,” she says stuttering once again. She picks up her cup with her regular hand.

“You design too, right?” he asks pointing at her sketchbook.

She completely forgot she had pulled it out. She was going to distract herself with it but the drinks came and then Adrien started talking to her.

“Um, yeah I d-do,” she says.

At the same time she speaks, Adrien pulls her sketchbook towards himself. At that moment, Marinette is extremely tempted to pull the sketchbook right out of his hands and sternly tell him to never look in another’s work without their permission. At this point, it would be too rude to pull it away.

“You mind if I look?” he asks after the fact. Marinette shrugs figuring he asked so it will be alright if he looks through.

He opens the cover to a few of the designs she did on the first day of school. Nothing too impressive in her opinion, a few high-low dresses of varying colors and styles and a teal, sequined mermaid dress. There were several hearts surrounding those dresses.

She remembers how distracted she was when designing those because it was the first day she met Adrien. She mentally thanks her past self for not doodling his name throughout the book. She luckily saved those doodles to her notebook.

She watches as Adrien takes his time flipping through the pages. Her gaze alters between looking at his fingers as they glaze over her designs and his eyes as they flicker observing her work. He takes his time on each page observing her creativity; he doesn’t speak a word. She mimics his silence.

She assumes he knows what he is looking at. He must see designs like these all the time.

People probably shove designs like these in his face. He must see designs like these all the time, Marinette figures.

As a fashion icon’s son as well as a model, she assumes he knows what is good and what is not. She tentatively watches his eyes scan her work. The way he analyzes her designs mesmerizes her.

She is thankful that she hasn’t had any inspiration this year to draw any Ladybug and Chat Noir designs. Her notebook last year was littered with Chat and Ladybug designs.

Something in her favor for once in her life.

This glee remains until he happens upon her most recent work, a sketch and rough blueprint for the mechanics and parts necessary to construct a cyborg hand.

Marinette watches how is expression remains unchanged at the switch in content.

Adrien speaks, “These are all really impressive, Mari. You have the talent and eye of a fashion designer.”

He closes her book and pushes it back across the table. Marinette takes the book and holds it to her chest. She smiles and her face shines bright red. A strand of hair falls into her face.

“Thanks,” she responds shyly pushing the hair strand back behind her ear with her metal hand.

“How do you come up with this stuff? I have never seen my father or anyone he works with design anything like you do.”

“Well,” Marinette begins taking a deep breath, “Th-this is my life. I pour everything into my designs. I know I won’t ever be allowed to be a designer because, you know, the law is the law,” she says and lifts her metal hand, “but I have always had an eye for fashion. I mean look at this one for example,” Marinette lifts her book back onto the table and flips to the second to last page trying avoid flipping to her hand sketch, “Look here.”

She points at a series of designs she created in class the previous week.

“Each one of these is inspired by something I’ve seen. This pink one, I modeled the dress after a rose flower allowing the bodice to be more rounded and full while the fitted body skirt with scattered designs to represent how the prickly stem of the flower,” she points to another design on the same page, “This simple shirt and skirt combo are modeled off of the idea of an explorer. The cute tan button-down crop top with the front tie paired with the tight-fitting khaki shorts shout ‘explorer’ or ‘adventurer’. I like how the high heel, laced hiking boots add to the look making it more of a causal or going out attire.”

Marinette takes a moment to look up at Adrien before returning her gaze to her sketches. She feels more confident. Fashion is her element. Talking about her work has always made her feel more relaxed. This is the most relaxed she has been during the entirety of this conversation.

She smiles as she continues, “I mean, that’s all I really do. I model my work off the ordinary. It is usually something I see or something I feel. I see something and imagine how, it was an outfit, how it would look. My best work usually comes from feelings or key events in my life but lately, I haven’t had any inspiration from a specific moment.”

Marinette’s smile leaves her face and allows her blue eyes to meet his green ones, “Designing is something which keeps me grounded in this messed up world.”

They keep each other’s gaze. She awaits Adrien’s response. The longer he takes, the more nervous she gets that what she said was wrong and she took it too far. He pulls her sketchbook towards himself again to get a better look. He takes a moment to flip through her designs again, avoiding the last page.

Adrien breaks the silence, “That’s amazing, Mari. I love the way you approach your work. Many designers just want to put out the next line before a deadline, but you care about your designs and they all have meaning behind them. I can see your personality in your designs which is something I love to see in passionate designers work,” he smiles and places a hand over one of her more simple cocktail dresses.

“If I was looking for a designer to recruit, I would hire you on the spot. I don’t care if you’re a Metal. You are an extraordinary designer. You will go places someday. Equality between the kinds is close, Mari. The world is going towards equality of Metals and Skins.”

Marinette blushes and smiles at his kind words. She loved hearing those words from a model and the son of a world-renowned fashion designer. The compliment was nice but she is shocked by his lackadaisical use of the word ‘Skins’. The only people who refer to normal people as Skins are cyborgs or people trying to insult one another. She opens her mouth to question his slang, but he interjects.

“So you design cyborg parts too?” he asks flipping to the last page of her sketchbook.

Damn it, she curses. She hoped to avoid this topic at all costs. He doesn’t need to know about this part of her life.

She nods politely, regretting ever working on it in this sketchbook. She reminds herself it could have been worse, it could have been her Ladybug and Chat Noir sketchbook.

Marinette doesn’t want him to know about the Metal part of her life. It is too embarrassing. The fact her arm model is old is embarrassing enough as it is. She can’t tell him she’s a mechanic; what would he think of her? She pushes any stray hairs behind her ear with her cyborg hand and meets his deep green eyes with her own.

“A little. I, um, just draw them out. There’s this mechanic I know that said they’d give me a discount price to build it for me. I just need to scavenge for the parts. It’s nothing big. It’s silly,” she says staring at the hand she drew for herself. She hopes he doesn’t understand how in detail the notes on the page were. If she is lucky, his mechanics and machinery knowledge aren’t up to par with his fashion experience.

“Oh,” Adrien says, sounding surprisingly disappointed, “Well, I think it is pretty cool.”

She hears a pause in his speech, as if he is debating his next sentence, “I could use a good mechanic I have a broken droid. It keeps running into stuff. I think it’s sensors are uncalibrated and I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve taken it to several droid help stations and none of them knew how to fix it either. I have also taken it to six different repair shops and they don’t know what to do with it. They say we should trash it and buy a new model, apparently, the CY7 model is out of date and they no longer sell parts to fix it. It was my mother’s and it’s the last thing I have that is hers and still functions.”

As soon as Adrien mentions the model of the droid, the blueprint and several different ways to fix the problem without seeing the droid pop up in her line of vision. After a quick scan of the information she is presented with, she knows she could fix the droid herself within fifteen minutes. None of the repair shops ever know what they are doing. They just want you to purchase new models so they can make a quick buck.

Alya walks up behind her and pipes in, “Adrien, I know a really good mechanic you should go to. Top notch service and low prices. You won’t be ripped off at all.”

“Really? Is it the same one Marinette knows?” Adrien asks.

Marinette shoots Alya a look. She knows exactly what is going through that girl’s mind at the moment. Marinette does not want Adrien coming to her so she can fix his droid. She doesn’t want him to know. Today was the first day she was able to talk to him without stuttering. She knows if he figures out she is a low-life mechanic who can barely afford new parts, then he will never like her. She would never be able to face him ever again.

“Yeah, they have a booth in one of the alleyways a few blocks from where Mari lives. The mechanic goes by the name of Bug. Very good service.”

Alya winks at Marinette. She wants to kick Alya so badly right now. She regrets helping fix Alya’s own droid.

Marinette cuts in, “Yeah, Bug’s pretty good but only works at night in the sketchier part of town. Like Alya said, the mechanic works out of a booth in an alleyway. I don’t know if you’d want to go down there.”

Marinette tries to steer him away from visiting her mechanic booth. She hopes the sketchiness of the booth steers him away.

“Oh, wow. Ok, thanks, Mari, Alya. I guess I’ll look into something else then,” Adrien admits but he doesn’t sound entirely convinced. Marinette feels bad because he seems disappointed and let down.

“Yeah, but if you still want to go, here’s Bug’s location,” Alya scribbles the location down on a napkin. “Plus, I mean if you don’t feel safe, just know Mari goes there all the time alone so it can’t be that dangerous.”

Marinette scowls at Alya. She is about to speak her mind to her best friend but Alya continues speaking.

“Well, Nino and I are done the website looks slightly better now,” Alya declares.

Nino walks up behind Alya, “Yeah, and by slightly better you mean it actually looks like a website and not some silly HTML shit.” 

“Whatever Nino.” She rolls her eyes and then wraps an arm around his waist. His arms reach around her shoulders. “Thank you,” Alya says and then kisses him on the cheek. 

“I guess that means we should go as well?” Adrien asks looking at Marinette. The two of them stand at the same time. Adrien closes her sketchbook and hands it to her with a gentle smile. “Everything in here is amazing, Mari. I am really interested in your work. I’d love to see more sometime.”

She watches the numbers monitoring her heart rate rise.

“Thanks. I may take you up on that,” Marinette responds taking her sketchbook from him and sticks it in her bag after shouldering it.

“Adrien,” Nino says walking towards the door, “Can I talk to you for a second about school, bro?”

“Yeah, hold on a second,” he nods towards Nino who is out the door before he can hear his friend’s reply. He turns his attention back to Marinette, “I know we didn’t get an opportunity to study anything so I copied down some of the more important notes that will be on the test tomorrow. I hope it helps.” He hands her a sheet of paper filled with notes in his handwriting on the French Revolution.

Marinette is speechless. He did this for her. She didn’t ask. He did it out of the goodness of his heart because he wanted to help her out. Ayla kicks Marinette in the shin, a gesture Marinette thinks she doesn’t deserve but Alya does for her mechanic nonsense. A text warning flashes in her vision that pain has been inflicted. It brings her back to her senses allowing her to respond to Adrien.

“Wow, um, thank you, Adrien,” Marinette manages without stuttering.

“I guess I’ll meet up with you girls outside,” he says saluting the girls before smiling politely and walking out of the cafe.

Ayla immediately slides into the seat across from her like a reporter waiting to hear the next big story. She grabs Mari’s hands and pulls her down into her seat as well.

“Details, gurl!!” she exclaims.

* * *

After shoving the notes from Adrien in her bag, Marinette quickly fills Alya in on everything her and her crush discussed. She doesn’t want to make the boys wait too long for them. She told her it went really well. Alya squeals throughout the entirety of Marinette telling her the details. The two girls stand up and walk to the door.

On the walk to the door, Marinette realize how tense she was sitting across from Adrien. She is surprised that warning didn’t cross her vision. She takes a deep breath and releases to relax herself before facing the handsome model again.

The girls hear the tail end of Adrien saying, “-ell me all about her designs and stuff.”

“You boys ready to head home? Not discussing anything bad about us, right boys?” Alya jokes. She shoulders her backpack and slips her hand into Nino’s. 

“Never Alya. Why would I ever say mean things about you?”

Alya shrugs with a devilish grin on her lips.

“And are we ready to head home?” Nino responds, “Alya and I are headed this way. Marinette you live the opposite direction right?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna walk,” she responds, adjusting her backpack.

“I live that way too,” Adrien pipes in, “You mind if I walk with you, Marinette?”

“Um, not at all. Of course, you can walk with me,” Marinette responds. She feels the tension return to her shoulders. It is more noticeable now that she is aware of it.

“I’ll see you later, Alya,” Marinette exclaims as she and Nino are already several paces away.

Alya holds up her hand like a phone and turns around to mouth ‘Call me’. It makes Marinette laugh and then nod. Alya gives her a thumbs up with her free hand. Marinette knows the walk home will be alright, but she is just worried she is going to make a fool of herself, something she luckily avoided in the cafe. 

“See you guys later,” Nino calls after Marinette’s parting words. To Adrien, he says, “Adrien, call me.”

The couple continue on their way disappearing around a corner leaving Marinette and Adrien alone. Adrien gestures for Marinette to lead the way. Marinette thinks it’s a silly gesture which makes her laugh.

Reminds me of a feline friend of mine, Marinette thinks to herself.

The two walk in silence for a block or two. Marinette tries distracting herself by counting the sidewalk tiles; she tries this to calm herself down. She can never focus when she is this riled up and distracted. None of her senses function properly, especially when she has constant warnings flashing in her vision about her body’s condition.

Adrien breaks the silence.

“I don’t know if this is too personal, but you mind if I ask a question about well, um,” he gestures to her hand and forearm, “people like you?”

“Um, sure,” Marinette responds and then pauses, “Should I be scared?”

This comment made him chuckle, “I don’t think so. I’m just curious. I was wondering how often you change your cyborg parts? I mean I never notice you with a different hand part.”

“Oh, yeah,” Marinette looks down at the hand she found in the junkyard. She was so excited when she found it and it was the right size, much of an improvement from her too small, the previous model. 

She pulls the sleeve of her sweater over her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien apologizes noticing her response to his question, “Too personal?”

“No, it’s ok,” she responds and reveals her hand again. She pushes up her sleeve allowing him a better view of it. The metal climbs up to her elbow before it become “I mean I usually only change it when I have to. So, for example when I grow out of it or it completely breaks down. Other than that, I use the one I have because it functions and does what it’s supposed to. There proves to be no other reason for me to change it out.”

“Oh wow. So you only do it when entirely necessary?” he clarifies.

“Yeah. I only have this hand right now. If I destroy it, I’ll have to go out and purchase another one,” she admits pushing a stray hair behind her ear. She knows though in reality she won’t be able to afford a new one; she’ll have to assemble it herself or pillage for a new one.

They arrive in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

“Wow,” he says, “I have always wondered what Metals have to go through to get parts and replacements. Thanks, Mari. I hope it wasn’t too personal,” he says smiling shyly. “And here we are. I guess I will be on my way then,” he says turning to leave.

Marinette watches him take two steps before she gets an idea.

“Wait!” she exclaims before disappearing into the bakery.

She returns from inside with a brown paper bag in hand. She holds it out for Adrien.

“What are these?” he asks as he opens the bag.

As the familiar aroma leaves the bag, the two teens speak at the same time, “Croissants.”

This makes the duo laugh and smile. Marinette watches Adrien’s eyes scan her face. She knows he can’t see the numbers and information flashing across her vision when he looks at her, but he will remember her face. When she looks at him, she remembers his soft eyes, the memories she has made with him, and everything the internet knows about him, unfortunately.

“Thank you, Mari,” he says and leans in to hug her.

She is caught off guard and hesitantly hugs him back. The warmth he transfers to her spreads throughout her body. His figure towers over hers, similar to how her partner now towers over her in the same way when she is Ladybug. Chat has grown so much over the past few months. The familiar ‘Warning’ passes across her vision.

“You’re welcome,” she responds when their hug ends. “Enjoy them. On the house.”

“No,” he says, “I couldn’t ever. I can’t take these from you. Please let me pay for them.”

“You said they were the best pastries in all of Paris and London. That is payment enough. Thank you,” she responds with a gentle smile.

“You’re welcome,” he says. He takes a bite of one and treasures the taste. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” he says with a mouthful of pastry.

Marinette waves goodbye and watches as he walks home. She shouldn’t watch him walk away because she needs to get to her booth. She is already late and customers will be waiting for her. She ignores the notifications of messages in her field of vision now coming through from customers asking her where she is. She’s already late. She figures what is a few minutes more?

She watches the boy anyway.

The further away he gets, the lower the number monitoring her heart rate drops. The constant warning she has seen about overheating disappears. She can finally think straight and focus. Her senses are clear and heightened once again. Nothing blocks them any longer. She allows the sounds of the city to engulf her and as she usually does, she slowly sifts through the sounds which are normal for a person to hear and those which are not. She watches Adrien walk away but his gait matches the impossible, unmistakable gait of not a normal human:

_Thud, clank, thud, clank, thud, clank…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! so I'm gonna try to post a little more consistently. Hopefully, it'll be once a week. SO I hope you guys enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Found the picture. Like I said, it has nothing to do with cyborgs.  
> http://iammiraculouscatbug.tumblr.com/post/144407173720


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